A PROUD LEGACY FOR TWO

Bailey King

After the last post from JAMES HAYS, I received an email from BILL KING about his granddaughter Bailey King of San Angelo. Bailey is the daughter of Keith Andrew King, BILL's youngest son. She is currently a political science and communication double-major at Angelo State University. She has been selected for the ASU Political Science and Philosophy Department’s 2021 Government and Public Service Internship Program in Washington, D.C. and will spend the upcoming fall semester working as an intern for a member of the U.S. Congress. She will be placed in either a congressional or senate office. You can read about this remarkable young woman's accomplishments here: CONCHO VALLEY. BILL is a proud grandfather, and rightly so.

JAMES HAYS found the photo he mentioned in the last blog post. This was taken when he went to "promote my nephew Lance Jorgenson to Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer-4 at the same place where my picture was taken in February 1942, also in uniform that my mother made for me. It takes a senior officer to promote an officer, active or retired. The biggest surprise was that I could still get into my dress uniform." I think that is JAMES' National Guard Uniform. I know James must have been proud to participate in this ceremony.

Today I received a telephone call from NANCY THOMPSON BAKER telling me that one of her grandsons, Rei De La Cruz had an accident on a skateboard. He suffered a serious brain injury and is currently in a medically induced coma in the hospital ICU. His sister, Kara Harris, has started a Go Fund Me page for him. He is in need of our prayers and donations to assist him with his recovery. Please check this out. PRAYERS FOR REI You may also put this on your Facebook page for classmates.

I hope that this is not what is called "too much information" flowing into your email inbox. I normally don't write posts this close together. But I am happy to hear from any of you. Of course, I want to know all your "good stuff" happening, but also want to advise all of the sad things and urgent requests. The positive energy created when many are united in sending good wishes and/or prayers to one of our own can be uplifting and even life-saving at times. So please continue to let me hear from you.

Love, peace, and good health,

Marilyn

A Letter from the Good Doctor!

JAMES HAYS sent me the following email and the cute photo of him and Grider in their "uniforms" his mother made for them during WWII. JAMES always wanted to be a "soldier", and it must have started with the uniform he wore in 1942! He has told us previously about his own time in the National Guard.

"I just finished reading your latest missive. Thanks for your help keeping us in touch. Since this Communist Chinese plague has calmed down considerably, I think we should be thinking about our cancelled reunion for early this fall. Lots of things need to be done in planning, etc. Go or no go, setting a date with or without consideration of a homecoming ballgame. I bumped into the lawyer and the Ballinger gun show is set for November 13/14, so the barrister is safe from meeting with Peggy! 'Class joke.' (Maybe some of you understand this. I don't.) My Saturdays for planning a trip are about half open, but is anybody still gainfully employed? Weekdays are generally open. I am still active with the Runnels County Historical Commission, The pay doesn’t complicate my tax return at all. 

"We made a quick trip to Arlington last week for Kay’s/our great-grandson’s second birthday. Two weeks ago we also went to the old home place so I could promote my nephew Lance Jorgenson to Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer-4 at the same place where my picture was taken in February 1942, also in uniform that my mother made for me. It takes a senior officer to promote an officer, active or retired. The biggest surprise was that I could still get into my dress uniform.

"When Dad tried to enlist in the army Dec 13, 1941, they refused to let him in with four small kids, sheep, cattle, and farming cotton, wheat, and other crops. He was mad as hell and joined the newly created Texas State Defense Force, soon to become the State Guard. My mother made these uniforms for Grider and me and we had a Kodak moment. At two years and eight months old, I remember getting this picture taken very well.

"My dad, Marion Hays, was in an Army pre-OCS school in 1918; war ended. 1918 graduate of Ballinger High School. Had Maryatt Smith in math. I spent 51/2-years in the Texas State Guard after 20-years in the National Guard.

"I am no longer the Brown County Medical Authority since December, but I hung in there until Vaccine became available and still show up occasionally on a volunteer basis. On that note, let me recommend one of the vaccines to everybody. Our aged arteries are still open season to that virus and the shots are very, very rarely hazardous. I have lost a couple of friends to it so far."...JAMES HAYS

Who knew Maryatt Smith was teaching school at BHS in 1918?
I had to do a little research on Miss Smith and came up with this old newspaper article. I had her for Algebra II, Plane Geometry, and Latin I and II. She made me angry by giving me a "0" in my daily work for talking. I walked out of her class and straight to Joe Forester. I insisted he put me in another math class. Good ole Joe talked me into staying. And I didn't regret it!

"The Ballinger Ledger (Ballinger, Texas)

May 19, 1966"

"Miss Maryatt Smith Will Close

Teaching Career on May 24, 1966"

If any of you want to comment or send your own stories, just use the comment link at the bottom of this post or email me. If you wish to work with or have suggestions for JAMES, you may email him directly. His email is in the back of your class directory...or I can send it to you.

May all your days be full of the "good stuff".

Peace and Love,

Marilyn

"I LOVE TO RIDE MY BIKE"

                

I never owned a bicycle as a child and I don't even recall riding one as an adult. Here in Austin you see bike riders everywhere all of the time. It wasn't surprising to me when my daughter's son Tanner started intense training for an upcoming ride, sometimes riding his bicycle 40 miles a day.

Tanner has a knack for participating in worthy causes. Last year he and a good friend held a "standathon" wherein they both stood for 24-hours while reading from pertinent books on climate change and being viewed online to raise money for "Extinction Rebellion ATX", an international nonviolent movement seeking real solutions to climate change. I wrote about their success at this endeavor on my personal blog. Standing for Change

This past weekend, Tanner and 21 other like-minded bike riders left on a 4,000 mile ride in the lower 48 states to raise money for cancer research. They are members of an organization called "Texas 4000". Started in 2004, "Texas 4000’s mission is to cultivate student leaders and engage communities in the fight against cancer." Information about the riders, their route, and why each has chosen to raise money for cancer is located on their website Texas 4000. There is also a good map of the stops they will make along the way. He is on the Sierra route.

Branch Tanner Archer is the grandson of mine and BOB BURTON. If you happened to see 22 bicycle riders touring through Ballinger last Monday, that was his group. Tanner had visited me when I lived in Ballinger for a few years before our 50th Class Reunion. He sent the following photo to let me know they went through there!

***************************************************

JUNE HASH CURRY sent me the following photo of her newest great-grandchild. I am jealous that she and NANCY THOMPSON BAKER both are gifted with great-grandchildren! Although I am blessed with seven grandchildren, five of them are still attending college. This has to be the cutest photo of a toddler I've seen!

This is Miss Emery Jayne Birdwoman Curry. She was born into the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe in Oklahoma. JUNE's grandson Braden and his wife Kennedy Curry officially adopted her on June 8th. Birdwoman is the name she was born with and they want her to remember it as well as her culture. JUNE told me: "My grandson and his young wife have been taking foster children since last year, and she was the fifth one to come into their home when she was five months of age. The other four foster children have since gone to other homes or returned to their parents, but they simply couldn’t think of letting her go and began adoption proceedings. The Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe finally accepted their petitions, signed off on the adoption, and yesterday she legally became ours to keep. And I think our whole family would have been to bury if we had lost this precious baby since she had already become a much loved member of our clan." I can certainly see why. And I commend this sweet couple for their work with foster children!

The happy new family!

**************************************

That's it for this time. Are there any "newbies" or happenings in your life or those you love? Send me the good stuff. I love to hear from you. 

Peace and Love,

Marilyn